A group of scientists has identified a molecule that can make you lose weight by replacing diet and exercise.
Eugenio Spagnuolo
It’s not in production yet, but it may be soon: a pill that reduces hunger and can also replace the need to go to the gym to lose weight. Science fiction? Not according to researchers from two of the most prestigious American universities …
The pill that replaces diet and gym
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A group of scientists from the Stanford Medicine and of Baylor University has identified a molecule that prevents people from getting hungry after exercising. For now, the studies are at the laboratory mice stage, but – as often happens when a new drug is tested – good results in animal testing are the step preceding that on humans.
In the experiments, the molecule in question – Lac Phe – was in fact shown to be able to drastically reduce food intake and obesity in guinea pigs. And, according to the researchers, it would also have the potential to replace the need to go to the gym. “Regular exercise has been shown to aid weight loss, regulate appetite and improve metabolic profile, especially for overweight and obese people,” says study lead author Professor Yong Xu of Baylor. College of Medicine. “If we can understand the mechanism by which exercise triggers these benefits, then we are closer to helping many people improve their health.”
The pill that replaces diet and gym: the study
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The scientists analyzed the blood plasma of the mice after an intense treadmill run. He was thus identified an amino acid called Lac-Phe, synthesized from lactate, a byproduct of intense exercise, responsible for the burning sensation in the muscles, and from phenylalanine, a building block of protein. The rodents examined all followed a high-fat diet but a high dose of Lac-Phe prompted them to reduce their food intake by 50% (compared to the control group). This without negatively affecting their ability to move or energy expenditure. Not only. After 10 days of Lac-Phe administration, the guinea pigs were less hungry and exhibited reduced body fat as well as better glucose tolerance.
The findings, published in the authoritative journal Nature, also shed new light on the links between exercise and the sense of hunger. “We are all aware that exercise is good for you. It is useful for controlling body weight and glucose, “says Jonathan Long, PhD, a lecturer in pathology at Standford Medicine.” But we wanted to delve into the concept in more detail: we wanted to see if we could dissect exercise in terms of molecules and routes “.
Human experimentation
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Interestingly, the team found large increases in plasma Lac-Phe levels following physical activity in racehorses and humans. “This suggests that Lac-Phe is an ancient mechanism that regulates nutrition and is associated with physical activity in many animal species,” says Dr. Long.
“Our next steps include understanding how Lac-Phe mediates its effects in the body, including the brain,” concludes Prof. Xu. “This could lead the development of a pill that can be used directly to suppress appetite for people who cannot exercise easily due to other conditions, aging or bone problems. We have just filed for a patent to hopefully use this knowledge to treat human diseases such as obesity. “
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